Last November, the Obama administration removed the Arctic Ocean from new oil and gas leasing for five years, but Eni secured its leases before that decision was made.

The company currently holds 75 leases in federal waters in Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, according to its website.

Eni has already built a man-made gravel island four miles offshore in state waters. Drilling would extend from the island into federal waters.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is reviewing the exploration plan. If the federal agency deems the plan complete, it will begin a 30-day comment period before approving it.

Texas company Hilcorp is also moving through the regulatory process to drill for oil in federal Arctic waters from a gravel island it aims to build six miles offshore in the Beaufort Sea. The company said it could ultimately produce about 60,000 barrels of oil per day.

Elizabeth Harball comes to Alaska's Energy Desk by way of Washington, D.C., where she reported for Environment & Energy Publishing’s ClimateWire, a job that gave her the opportunity to hear about climate change from coral reef scientists, lobbyists, wildland firefighters, congressmen, coal plant operators and coastal homeowners, among many others. Originally from Kalispell, Montana, Elizabeth is a graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.